Ball-throwing apparatus.



J. L. REYNOLDS. BALL THROWING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28. I914- 1,201,626. Patented ()0t.17,1916.

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4 TTOR/VEY J. L. REYNOLDS. BALL THROW-ING APPARATUS.

APPLICATiON FILED DEC-28. I914.

Patented Oct 17, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEY J. L. REYNOLDS.

BALL THROWING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28. 1914. 1,201,626. Patented 001. 17,1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3- A TTOR/VEY J. L. REYNOLDS. BALL THROWING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED 05c. 28. 1914.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4- EIIIII1:222:12:

A TTOH/VEV L. REYNOLDS.

BALL THROWING APPARATUS. APPLICATIQN FILED 0150.28, 1914.

Patented Oct. 1916.

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awowoq TED STATES PATENT oFFioE.

JAY II. REYNOLDS, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO REYNOLDS BASE-BALL PITGI-IING MACHINE CO., SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, A CORPORATION.

BALL-THROWING APPARATUS.

17 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAY L. REYNOLDS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of \Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ball- Throwing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to ball tossing ap paratus and has for its object to provide a mechanical means for throwing a ball to be either batted or caught in imitation of baseball throwing, batting and catching.

A further object is to provide a means for tossing the ball at varied rates of speed as may be desired. I

A further object is to provide means for tossing the ball at varied and different angles as may be desired.

A further object is to tossing the ball so as to give the same a down, upward, right-hand or left-hand curve as may be desired.

A further object is to provide a means for stopping the ball' after it has been batted and for conveying the same to a magazine for reentering the ball tossing mechanism.

A further object is to provide means for feeding the balls to' the ball tossing mechanism as desired.

A further object is to provide a signal to indicate to the batter-or catcher about the time the ball will emerge from the ball tossing mechanism.

A further object is to provide a baseball field illustrating a diamond upon which the batted ball will strike and upon which is indicated a foul ball, and a one, two, three or four base hit.

Other and further objects and purposes will be hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1, is a. vertical sectional view of the ball tossing mechanism taken on the line a-a of Fig. 2, Fig. 2, sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, Fig.3, is a detail side elevation of the hub and arms shown in Figs. 1 and 2, Fig. 4, is a detail front elevation of the hub and arms shown in Figs. 1 and 2 together with a horizontal shaft connected with said hub carrying band wheels, Fig. 5, is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1, Fig. 6, is a side elevation of the ball tossing mechanism together with the ball magazine,

Specification of- Letters Patent.

provide means for is a transverse vertical Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

Application filed December 28, 1914. Serial No. 879,254.

ball elevator and portions of the detail construction for operating the same, together with a broken away sectional View of an alley floor, Fig. 7, is a broken-away side elevation of the ball magazine showing a gate mechanism for retaining and releasing the balls therein, Fig. 8, is a broken-away view of an elevator belt showing cups thereon for retaining the balls, Fig. 9, is a broken-away view of the casing of the ball tossing mechanism showing a shoe thereon and mounted rollers upon which the same rests, Fig. 10, is a broken-away View of a canvas map representing a base-ba-ll-field together with a view of the end of the barrel of the ball tossing mechanism shown in an opening therethrough and a side elevation of a signal disk for covering the opening leading to the barrel and to signal the time the ball is about to be tossed, Fig. 11, is a detail view of the signal disk together with the connecting mechanism with which the disk is operatedto open and closethe opening in the canvas leading to the entrance to the barrel of the ball tossing mechanism, Fig. 12, is a front elevation of the ball tossing mechanism together with the shaft and beltwheels connected therewith and a pedestal and other supporting means for the same.

ken-away, sectional view of an alley floor and a portion of the operating mechanism, Fig. 15, is a front view of a canvas indicating a base-ball field together with a View of the'end of the barrel of the ball-tossing mechanism shown through an opening in the canvas at a location thereon indicating the pitchers box and a sectional view of the front end of the alley floor, and Fig. 16, is a side elevation of the ball tossing mechanism including the ball elevator and magazine, a broken-away sectional view of the canvas representing a base-ball field and of the alley floor together with a. view of the mechanism for altering the position of the ball tossing mechanism and for :operating the gate to feed the balls to the ball tossing. mechanism, and a view of ascreen between the operating lever and'the home or batters canvas representing a base-ball field, a brobase. Fig. 17 is a sectional View taken on the line l717 ofFig. 18 and Fig. 18 is a broken-away-side elevation partly in section of the ball tossing mechanism.

Referringvnow to the details of construction, an upright casing 17 (Fig. I preferably somewhat circular in form with variations to meet the requirements is provided with a shoe 18 set upon rollers 19 mounted upon bearings 20. At the center of the casing 17 are openings 21 in which is mounted a hub 22 having arms 23 radiating therefrom. Extending from the opening 21 at the center of the casing 17 to the circumference thereof on bothinside walls 17 and 17 thereof is a spiral groove 24 in the form of a spiral of Archimedes terminating at the upper portion of the casing 17 and connecting with a tangentially arranged barrel 25. The arms 23 occupy a position between the walls 17 and.17 of the casing 17 and are of sufficient length to pass over the spiral grooves 24 and reach for a distance into the tangentially arrangedbarrel 25 connected with the said spiral grooves as shown at 23. At themouth of the barrel 25 and in the inner surface thereof are cut horizontal and parallel oblong grooves 26 in which are mounted .fibrous strips 27\secured to a rigid base 28. Extending through the casing of the barrel 25 and reaching to the grooves 26 are openings 29 through which extend pins 30 which are attached to the base 28. cured to the outer wall of the barrel portion 25, as at 31, are brackets 32 to which are pivoted,.as at 33, bell-crank levers -34 to which are pivoted the pins 3-0, as at 35. Connecting the ends 34 of the levers 34 with the brackets 32 are coil springs 36. Connected with the ends 34. of the levers 34 are cables 37.

The hub 22 is composed. of parts 22 and 22 spaced apart by segments 42 and bolted or riveted together as at 41 (Fig. 4) with the arms 23 secured between the segments 42, leaving an opening 42* between the parts 22 and 22 of the hub 22' and between the inner ends ofthe arms 23. Attached to the side 22 ofthe hub 22 is a. horizontally arranged shaft 38 carrying band-wheels 39 and 39 The side 22 of the hub 22 has an opening centrally disposed therethrough of sufficientdimensions to permit of the passing ofa base-ball. The arms' 23 are preferably made of two parallel parts 23 and 23 and separated by the segments 43. p 1 Referring now to Figs. '6, 7 and 8, connected with the'opening 40' of the hub portion 22 'is'a magazine 44 cylindrical in form,

of a su ificientdiameter to carry'a base-ball and offsuflicient length'to contain a number ,oflball's,ior as many' {as may be desired. The 'inagaz ne44sets on an angle with a forward, up va'rd mcl1ne with the front end connected with the upper end of a belt elevator '45 carryingcups 46 adapted for the reception of a ball. The belt elevator is supported by a shaft 47 mounted at the end 44 of the magazine 44 and rotatably mounted in the bearing 48 (Fig. 13) at the top of a pedestal 49. The lower end of the belt elevator 45 is mounted on an idler shaft 50. The shaft 50 is rotatably mounted in the bearings 51. Near the end 44 of the magazine 44 and in close proximity to the opening 40 into the hub portion 22 is a gate construction comprising a lever 52 fulcrumed to a pivot 53 supported by a bracket 54 attached to the wall of the magazine 44 as at 55. end of the lever 52 are pivoted, as at 56, upwardly extending pins 57 and 58 respectively penetrating the wall of the magazine 44 through openings 59 therethrough. A coil spring 60 connects the lever 52 and the wall of the magazine 44 as at 61in such a manner as to normally hold the pin 58 in a position protruding a substantial distance into the magazine 44 as shown in Fig. 7' so as to retain the balls (32 in the magazine 44. The lever 52 is of suflicient length to space the pins 57 and 58 apart the distance necessary to retain a ball therebetween. A cable 63 is attached at one end to the lever 52 at 64, extends downwardly and is attached at the other end to the end 65 of a bell-crank lever 65 pivotally fulcrumed to the end of the shaft 66 supporting one of the rollers 19. Attached to the end 65 of the lever 65 is a cable 67 extending to the front end 68 of the alley floor 68 where it is connected to the end 69 of a lever 69 pivotally fulcrumed as at 70. The end 69 of the lever 69 is set at an angle as shown in Fig. 16. The belt elevator 45 is preferably inclosed in a casing 71 (Fig. 16

Referring now to Fig. 12, the casing 17 is combinedly supported by the shoe 18 resting on the rollers 19 and by a pedestal 72 having bearings 73 which support the shaft 38, to which shaft 38 are rotatably secured the arms 74 of the bracket 75. The bracket 75 is rigidly secured to the casing 17 as at 7 6, the part 77 being added to make more rigid such connection. Extending downwardly from the bottom portion of the casing 17 (Fig. 16) is a lug 78"to which is attached a cable 79 extending to the front end (58 of the alley floor 68 where the same is attached to the end 80 of the lever 80 pivotally fulcrumed at 81. To the lever 80 is attached a latch 82 adapted for engagement with 'a rack 83. Attached also to the lug 78 is a coil spring 7 8 joined 'to a fixedposition as at 7 8".

Referring now to Figs. 12, 13 and 14, to the shaft 47 is secured a band wheel 83. A belt84 isv passed over the-'band-wheels 39 and 83 and a belt 85 engages the band wheel 39 and reaches to a s'ou'rce of power. Arranged in an upright position'in frontofthe casing '17 (Fig. 16) is a canvas'86 represent- To the 1 whichis an opening throughthe canvas 86.

Upon canvas are also. diagramed fields 93, 94, 95 and96. Mounted on the top of the casing 17,. as at 97, is a bracket 98 having a 1 bearing 99 in which is rotatably and slidably' mounted a rod 100. Said 'rod 100 also having a loose bearing 101 in the curtain 86 through which it extends and having rigidly secured thereto on the side 86 of the curtain 86 a disk 102 adapted to normally cover the opening'92 through said canvas. floor 68 (Fig. 16) is builton an incline with a sudden drop downward, as at 103, at, the rear end thereof in close proximit to the entrance 104 of the elevator casing 1. I

Extending outwardly from the rod 100 is an arm 105 to which is attached a cable'106 having its opposite end attached to the end 65 of the lever 65. The elevator floor 68 is inclined toward the centerin cross section as to the point 109 (Fig. 15) which is the point on the alley floor 68 nearest the entrance 104 to the elevator 45.

In the practical operationfof the device, a batter or catcher takes his position at the end of the alley floor 68, as at 110' facing the canvas 86 representing the base-ball field and substantially in line with. the end25 of the barrel 25. The power dperating the belt 1 85 in set in motion and the shafts 38 and 47 are set to rotating causing the I picked up by belt elevator 45 and thearms 23 to rotate. A'n'umber of balls 62 aretossed forward onto the alley floor 68 which find their way by gravity to the entrance 104-of the'elevator 45 and are by which they are carried upwardly and deposited in the'magazine 44,

are stopped by the pin 58. When the batter 110 to take the apcare of the balls 62, the operator of of the paratus presses his foot on the .end 69 lever 69, which through the action of the lover 69, the cable 67, the lever 65, the cable 57 permitting one ball 62 to escape magazine and pass by" gravity through the.

i 42 and by 63 and the lever 52 drawsdownwardly the pin 58 (Fig. 7) and throws upwardly the pin from the opening 40' in the hub portion 22 (Fig. 4) and-into the space 42 between the inner ends of the arms 23. The ball 62 then-passes by gravity to a-position in front of the segments the rotation of said segments with the hub 22 the ball is carried around andby centrifugal force thrown up and forced along the pathof the said spiral groove in the direction of the arrows (Fig. 18) to the tangentially arranged barrel 25. There the end 23 of .one of the arms 23 gives it a final throw forcing it at The alley the cups 46 of the elevator 45 they traveling therein by gravity to the e'nd4'4 thereof, and

into the entrance 24 of the spiral groove 24vwhere it is picked &

a high rate of speed through the barrel 25 toward the position 110 near the front end of the alley floor 68 where the player either endeavors to catch or bat the same, If the ball is batted to thepositions of the field 93 on the canvas 86 the same is'reckoned a foul ball, if to the portion 93 within the diamond '87 the same is reckoned as a one base hit, if

batted to the portion 94,-it is reckoned a two base hit, .if batted to the portion 95, it is reckoned a three base hit and if to the portion 96 it is reckoned a four base hit. 7 As stated before the disk 102 (Fig; 15) normally covers the opening 92 through the canvas 86 directly in front of the end'25 of the barrel 25 of the casing 17, but the cable 106 connected by arm 105 to the rod 100 to which the disk 102 is rigidly secured,

being securedto the same lever 65 that is opto the position shown in Fig. 16 over the opening 92 so that a ball can not be batted therethrough. The swinging sidewise ofthe disk 102' from itsnormal position over the opening just as'the ball starts into the casing 17 gives warning to thebatter or catcher asto when to expect the ball. When it is desired to change the angle of the ball, the lever connected by the cable 79 tothe lug- 78 is operated to rotate the casing 17 to direct the barrel 25 downward from the horizontal or upward as indicated by the dotted lines 25 (Figs. 6 and 16).

,tion shown and gravity returns the disk 102 1 Referring again to Fig. 7: When the lever 4 52 is operated to draw downwardly the pin 58, the pin 57 penetrates the interior of the magazine-44 to measure off one ball in the magazine-44 to permit only one ball'62 to escape from the magazine by one operation of the lever. The batted balls after striking the canvas 86 fall to the alley floor 68 and by gravity find their way to the entrance 104 of the elevator 45 by which they are again'returned to the magazine 44 to 'be rethrown. s

Referring now to Figs. 1' and 5, the ball follows the 62 by centrifugal force naturally wall 24 of the spiral 24 in its passage therethrough which. causes the ball to rotate clock-wise giving thesame what is known as the down-curve. Means are provided in the barrel 25 for neutralizing this curve and for providing an upward curve, a right hand and a, left hand curve. Tofneutralize said down-curve so as to throw a straight ball, the cable 37 in the bottom wall 25 of the barrel 25 is manually 'drawn downwardly slightly, causing the lever 35 to operate against the pin 30 to force the fibrous strip 27 slightly into the path of the ball in its passage through the barrel 25. If an upward curve is desired to be given the ball, then the strip 27 is forced in the same manner slightly farther in the path of theball. In like manner the strips 27 in the side walls and 25 may be thrown into the path of the ball togive the same a left or a right hand curve, he speed of the ball 62 is regulated by t e velocity of the shaft 38 which may be regulated as desired. .When.

the cables 37 (Fig. 5). are released the coil springs 36 return the fibrous strips to the position shown. The dotted line 27 b merely indicates the path of the portion 27 in its 7 opening through said canvas and means for entranceinto the path of. the ball through the barrel 25. Between the lever 80 and the base 110 is an upright screen 111 for the purpose of stopping a ball thrown from the apparatus providing the same is not struck or caught by the batter or catcher.

What is claimed is, r

1. A ball throwing apparatus comprising an upright casing, mounted on rollers adapted to rotate on bearings, a transversely arranged centrally disposed opening therethrough, grooves in the inner walls of said casing beginning at the outer edge of said opening and extending outwardly in a' spiral, 'a horizontally arranged barrel reach-' ing through the end wall of said casing and connected with said spiral, a hub in said J centrally disposed opening composed of two horizontally arranged parts spaced apart to provide an opening therebetween, an opening through the side of one of said parts, a shaft attached to the other of said parts, arms radiating from said hub on the inside of said casing and reaching outwardly beyond said spiral groovesand to a point in said barrel and means for rotating said shaft, together with means for tilting said casing to change downwardly or upwardly from the horizontal the angle ofsaid barrel, such means comprising a lug attached to the bottom of the casing to which is attached a cable extending forward and to which is also attached a coil spring extend- F ing rearward and secured toa permanent position whereby by the drawing forward of. the cable the barrel of the casing is elevated and by the release of the cable the barrel is lowered by means of the tension of the spring thrning backward the casing.

2. A ball throwing apparatus, comprising an uprightcasing, a supporting means therefor, a transversely arranged centrally dis-f posed opening therethrough, grooves in the inner walls of said casing beginning at the 1 outer edge of said opening and extending" outwardly in a spiral, a horizontally arranged barrel reaching through the end wall, of said casing and connected with said spiral, a hub in said centrally disposed opening composed of two horizontally arranged parts spaced apart to provide an opening therebetween, an opening through the side of one of said parts, a shaft attached to the other of said .parts, arms radiating from said hub on the inside of said casing and reaching outwardly beyond said; spiral,

tipping said disk to uncover said opening at approximately the time a ball is fed to said apparatus.

8. A ball throwing apparatus comprising an upright casing, a supporting means therefor, a transversely arranged centrally disposed opening therethrough, grooves in the inner walls of said casin beginning at the outer edge of said opening and extending outwardly. in a spiral, a horizontally arranged barrel reaching through the end wall of said casing and connected with said spiral, a hub in said centrally disposed opening composed of two horizontally arranged parts spaced apart to provide an opening therebetween, an opening through the side of one of said parts, a'shaft attached to the other of said parts, arms radiating from said hub on the inside of said casing and reaching outwardly beyond said spiral grooves and to a point in said barrel and means for rotating said shaft, together with means in said barrel for regulating the curve of the ball thrown therethrough, to give such ball a neutral, upward, downward, righthand and left-hand curve.

4. A ball throwing apparatus comprising "an upright casing, a supporting means therefor, a transversely arranged centrally disposed opening therethrough,'grooves in the inner walls .of said casing beginning at the outer edge of said opening and extending outwardly in a spiral, a horizontally arranged barrel reaching through the end wall of said casing and connected with said spiral, a hub in said centrally disposed opening composed of two horizontally arranged parts ball thrown therethrough, to give such ball a neutral, upward, downward, right-hand and left-hand curve, such means comprising fibrous strips mounted in recesses'in the inner wall of said barrel and adapted for being thrown into said barrel in the path of a ball passing therethrough to cuff the same to effect such curve. I

5. A ball throwing apparatus, comprising an upright casing, for, a transversely arranged centrally disposed opening therethrough, grooves in the inner walls of said casing, beginning at the outer edge of said opening and extending outwardly in a spiral, a horizontally arranged barrel reaching through the end wall of said casing and connected with said spiral, a hub in said centrally disposed opening composed of two horizontally arranged parts spaced apart to provide an opening therebetween,

an opening through the sideof oneof said parts, a shaft attached to the other of said parts, arms radiating from said hub on the inside'of said casing and reaching outwardly a supporting means therebeyond said spiral grooves'and toa point in said barrel and means for rotating said shaft together with means in said barrel for giving a curve to a ball while passing therethrough.

6. A ball throwing apparatus comprising a casing having a passageway radiating from a central position therein outwardly and connecting with a tangentially extending barrel, means for forcing a ball through said passageway into and through said barrel, an uprightly mounted canvas in front/of said barrel, an opening in the canvas in front of the same, a disk tiltably mounted to cover theopening in said canvas and means for tilting said disk to uncover said opening.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses,

JAY L. REYNOLDS.

Witnesses:

' E. L. WESTFALL,

H; M. WILEY. 

